Put Your Wetsuit on Properly for More Speed

Written by Emilo DeSoto – maker of T1 Wetsuits.

No matter what brand of wetsuit you swim in, proper wetsuit alignment can make a huge difference in fit, comfort and performance. A twisted arm will effectively shorten the length of the arm while tightening that rubber and inhibiting your reach. This is not just the case with T1 Wetsuits, in fact it is even more pronounced on one-piece wetsuits since a twisted arm means your are shortening the length of the arm and the torso as well. This will cause more constriction in your arm, torso and even more pulling in the crotch. Just this past weekend at Oceanside 70.3 I witnessed so many people, pros included, carelessly putting on their wetsuits with no regard to how twisted the legs and arms were. They actually raced that way! I liken it to riding with a twisted saddle, with one run shoe, or with two different-sized bicycle crank arms.

In the photo, notice that the seam under the arm runs from the middle of my wrist right over my funny bone. The easiest way to be sure it lines up is to put your hand into each sleeve and feel the seam with your middle finger as you pull the sleeve on. If you put both sleeves on as described above, then pull it over your head, the rest of the pullover will be aligned properly. You will know it is aligned properly when you raise your arm up, the seam runs straight down your arm.This same seam can be found on just about all other brands too.